Delhi's water crisis: Why taps are running dry — expected to stabilize by Saturday morning
Delhi is in the middle of a serious water shortage, and it's not ending soon—some reports link disruptions to a Haryana-ordered closure; officials say the situation is expected to stabilize by Saturday morning.
High ammonia in the Yamuna River has shut down key treatment plants, and at the same time, maintenance on the Munak Canal has contributed to cuts in Delhi's water supply.
Most treatment plants are barely working
Right now, several of Delhi's nine major water treatment plants are either closed or running below normal.
Wazirabad—one of the city's major plants—has been temporarily shut. Chandrawal is operating at reduced capacity, and Haiderpur's output has also been reduced.
That means less water for huge parts of north, west, southwest, and central Delhi.
What this means for daily life
With municipal supply cut off or unreliable for many neighborhoods, people are scrambling for alternatives—like using groundwater or buying bottled water.
It's a tough reminder that Delhi is one of the world's most water-stressed cities—a problem made worse by pollution, climate change, and some poor planning.